Were Jon Gruden to have recapped last night's episode, he would have said:
Are you kiddin' me? This guy, after a STRONG first-half, where he showed he's as good an "SNL" host as he is quarterback in the National Football League, Eli Manning had a rough second half, not worthy of his LEGENDARY pedigree. You've got to STEP up your game when the pressure's on, let me tell you, and Eli fumbled the snap. FUMBLED. THE. SNAP.
Translation: the first six sketches of last night's "SNL" — from the cold open to "Little Brothers" — were much better than anyone could have expected. Eli Manning isn't exactly the most charismatic guy, after all (and wasn't even the host "SNL" wanted). But beginning with the return of Herb Welch and continuing right until the miserably unfunny "Cheech & Chong & Richard" sketch, "SNL" blew the lead and lost by 23. (Sports metaphor!) It wasn't as good as Peyton Manning's episode, but also not as bad as Tom Brady's, either. Clips after the jump.
Two highlights:
1. Bobby Moynihan saying "pandas."
2. The corrections:
The bullet going through Tupac joke was pretty great, too.
Maybe it's because I have a fondness for Olive Garden jokes, but I really liked Eli's Monologue. If he wasn't a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, he would be the kind of guy who hangs out behind Al Roker and sees Cats on Broadway, and "SNL" positioning him as a lovable doofus throughout the evening was a wise choice. I hate the Giants, and therefore Eli, but I gotta give the guy props. Even with all the monitor reading.
The Fifty Shades of Grey "SNL" sketch was inevitable, and this was about as good as it could be. The set-up was surprising (it was positioned as an Amazon commercial, not a direct Grey, mommy porn parody) and the picture of Joel McHale on the dryer was perfect.
This shouldn't have been good, but because the writers saved Eli's more bizarre touchdown dances for the end (the grenade throw was hilarious), the sketch only got funnier. Here's hoping Eli uses the "drop a sandwich, eat the sandwich" move during the regular season.
(Via)
Usually sketches that require a minute of set-up don't have worthwhile pay-offs — surprisingly, this one did, effectively painting Eli not as the murderer, but as a sad, lonely, horny man. That's a good subversion, and the gags within, like Eli's banana penis and "kewl," made it one of the highlights of the evening.
A retread of Peyton's "United Way" promo, but with an acknowledgment: “My name isn’t Peyton!” “Whatever!”
(Via)
This didn't make me want to see The Dictator anymore than I already did, which is to say: not at all.
Even when he was speaking gibberish, Eli had to look at the monitors.
Just terrible. One of the worst of the season.
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Last Night’s McKinnon sketch wasn’t terribly funny but I think she’s gonna be a strong performer in episodes to come.
I usually cut off SNL at the conclusion of Weekend Update and I’m glad my viewing strategy was richly rewarded. If you don’t watch the second half last night’s show was a fantastic surprise given expectations were so freaking low.
Am I the only one who didn’t think any of them were very good? Maybe it’s just because I’m predisposed not to like Eli, but everything he did came off as really awkward and forced to me. I think they may have expected a little too much from his line delivery
Caught the first 3 sketches or so and was bored. Closest they got was with the motion capture sketch, and he’s just not the guy to do that.
His delivery was awful, but I’ll give him some respect for being willing to mock the hell out of himself. The Olive Garden recommendation in the monologue was excellent.
Yeah that and the line about walking hand in hand with the fat kids in times square were the only things that made me even chuckle.
That Swedish Chelsea Handler sketch was unbearable, but Kate McKinnon’s got zip and zazz.
Instead of saying Chelsea Handler sucks, they had to do it in Swedish. Blah Blah Blah my vagina. I liked the “Little Brothers” piece immensely.
Bayer looks good as a blonde.
The skit in the court was also awesome. ;P
It was kewl.
Managed to catch one of the Rihanna performances. If I should ever want that feel of an arthritic jungle cat threatening me with its vagina I’ll know just where to look.
I’m a fan of Eli Manning now
Eli gets an A for effort. Even when he was stiff, you could tell he was trying. And the awkwardness actually worked well for the courtroom and Madden skits.
The Big Brother commercial was cute, too.
Thought it was really good, but–like most people–I stopped watching after Update. There’s a reason they put those sketches at the end of the show.
I thought he was great that whole first half. Saying the second half sucked is a little unfair, the second half of SNL always sucks.
Also, all of Rihanna’s dance moves seemed to involve wafting her vagina at us. That chick is broken on the inside.
I chuckled at both the courtroom and Handler skits (Chelsea is about that incisive in English).. Little Brothers was derivitive but funny. The big advantage is having it recorded and being able to FF on Sun morn.
I. . .agree. Like, I EXACTLY agree. How strange. This has never happened to me before.